Opening soon: India’s first foreign airbase

The case of the base in Tajikistan

India’s military presence in Farkhor dates back to the 90s when the Northern Alliance of Ahmed Shah Masood was fighting the Taliban from its strongholds on the Tajik-Afghan border. Early reports of India expanding its military presence in Tajikistan had already emerged in 2002, when it was used to fly relief supplies to Afghanistan, getting around Pakistan’s ban on Indian overflights.

Farkhor will be the site of India’s full fledged air base when it goes operational in December 2004. [via The Argus]. At least two squadrons of ‘suitable’ military aircraft, likely to be the IAF’s MiG-29s, will be stationed in Tajikistan on an regular basis.
Related Links: The case of the Tajik base on The Acorn